Japan powered down its Moon lander after a historic touchdown, aiming for potential recovery when sunlight reaches its solar panels, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) stated in an update via X (formerly Twitter).
The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) lander had to power down on the moon due to solar cells not catching sunlight, but there's optimism about reactivation. It successfully landed on the lunar surface, targeting the Shioli crater's rim on January 19.
'Moon Sniper' Craft Switched Off for Possible Restoration
The SLIM mission, also known as "Moon Sniper" for its precision-landing technologies, achieved a soft lunar touchdown, making Japan the fifth nation in history to do so. However, JAXA is unable to confirm if the lightweight craft's solar batteries were generating power after the midnight touchdown on Saturday.
To avoid a complete battery system shutdown, JAXA remotely turned off the craft at 02:57 on Saturday, with 12% power remaining. JAXA received technical and image data from the descent and lunar surface before the shutdown, expressing relief and excitement over the obtained information.
JAXA revealed that SLIM's solar cells are facing west, and there's hope for power generation if sunlight hits the Moon from the west in the future. SLIM is part of new lunar missions launched 50 years after the first human Moon landing.
Despite the challenges of crash landings and communication failures, only the United States, the Soviet Union, China, and India have reached the Moon. JAXA disconnected SLIM's battery at 3:00 am when it had 12% power, ensuring a smooth restart process.
The spacecraft's landing location on the slopes of Shioli Crater experiences "morning," and if the solar cells are pointing westward, the craft may need to wait until "lunar afternoon" for sufficient light to start charging the battery system.
JAXA Analyzes Data for SLIM Moon Landing Success and Investigates Water Resources Mystery
The agency is currently conducting a thorough examination of the data to determine if the craft successfully achieved its goal of landing within 100 meters of the intended landing spot. The mission targeted a crater where the Moon's mantle, typically situated beneath its crust, is believed to be exposed on the surface.
JAXA aimed to unravel the mystery of the Moon's potential water resources by analyzing rocks in the area, crucial for future lunar bases and potential stopovers on Mars missions.
Two probes were successfully detached during the mission, with one featuring a transmitter and another designed to roam the lunar surface while transmitting images to Earth. The shape-shifting mini-rover, slightly larger than a tennis ball and co-developed by the creators of Transformer Toys, was part of this exploration. JAXA has announced plans to provide further updates this week on the mission's outcomes and the status of the SLIM craft.
Despite encountering some challenges, JAXA expressed satisfaction with the successful landing and anticipates obtaining valuable results from the mission. This achievement follows previous setbacks in Japanese lunar missions, with failures in 2022 involving the Omotenashi probe as part of the U.S. Artemis 1 mission and a private company's unsuccessful attempt to land on the Moon in April 2022, losing communication after a "hard landing."
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